


this side of paradise

by peonyprice (heliantheae)



Category: Cordelia (Movie Poster)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Regency, F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-09-24
Updated: 2020-09-24
Packaged: 2021-03-08 00:00:10
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 555
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26636239
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/heliantheae/pseuds/peonyprice
Summary: I saw the movie poster and couldn't resist.
Relationships: Cordelia/Frank (Cordelia)
Comments: 11
Kudos: 63





	this side of paradise

**Author's Note:**

> I don't love horror movies or thrillers so I'm probably never going to see this movie, but look the poster and tell me I'm wrong.
> 
> Title from a song by Marie Miller.

Frank couldn’t take his eyes off of her. There were dozens of young women in the room, clustered together and laughing. He was confident very few of them actually knew each other—most of the people here had only recently arrived in London—but it seemed as if they had coordinated their outfits. There wasn’t a woman present not wearing some shade of cream, pink, coral, or orange. Not even her.

Her dress was cream-colored, darker than her skin. It was patterned with something, maybe leaves, although from his vantage point it just looked like dots. The hem of her dress was embroidered with vines, but not excessively so. None of her jewelry was flashy enough to draw attention. She shouldn’t have stood out. 

The back of her dress was cut to display the delicate curve of her spine, further highlighted by the simple updo her blonde hair had been swept into. Frank wished desperately that he had the confidence to introduce himself. The woman she was talking to—a strikingly pretty brunette called Regan—noticed him staring.

He knew her from past parties and balls. She was trouble, with a reputation for drama and the kind of excitement that led to hours of penance after confessing everything to a politely horrified priest. The mischievous sparkle in Regan’s eyes when she nudged the blonde woman only confirmed matters. The blonde turned, fixing piercing hazel eyes on him. Frank froze, pinned in place by her gaze. He watched as she laid a hand on Regan’s arm and murmured something. The other woman’s lips quirked up into a smirk, and she nodded. 

She began to make her way toward him, the crowd parting like water to let her through. It was leaves on her dress, Frank noticed. From this close, he could see that some of the stitches were crooked. It didn’t matter. Anyone with any sense wouldn’t be able to tear their eyes away from her collar bone. 

She stopped in front of him, tilting her head slightly. “It’s rude to stare, you know.”

Frank tried to say something, anything, but choked on his own saliva and had a coughing fit instead. 

“I’m Cordelia,” the blonde said. She kindly didn’t comment on his rapidly reddening face. 

“Frank,” he managed, wheezing slightly.

“A pleasure,” she said. She rested a hand on his arm. It was a small gesture, the same thing she’d done with Regan. Frank forgot how to breathe. She leaned in, and he could see the brilliant amber flecks in her eyes. “Do you want to go somewhere a little quieter, Frank?” 

“Whatever you’d like,” he told her. His voice barely came out as a whisper.

She led him by the arm out of the ballroom, through the winding corridors. Frank was lost almost immediately. After several minutes and more turns than he cared to count, she led him through a door he found himself alone with her in a small room. 

Before he could so much as blink, she was behind him and pressing him into the wall. She grasped his forearms, dainty appearance belying surprising strength. Her breath was warm in his ear as she kissed his neck, teeth scraping over the delicate flesh. 

“I have what I want, Frank. What about you?”

Frank didn’t quite manage to bite back a soft moan.

**Author's Note:**

> Come say hi on [tumblr](https://peonyprice.tumblr.com/)


End file.
